Celebrity Info
Ben Gazzara, often hailed as the toast of Broadway, lit up the stage with his electrifying performances in landmark 1950s plays like Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Michael V. Gazzo’s A Hatful of Rain. It was quite the journey for Ben Gazzara, who grew up in Manhattan’s gritty Gashouse District during the Great Depression. In just a few short years, he rose to prominence, becoming the nation’s leading Italian-American actor—nearly two decades before icons like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro emerged. Ben Gazzara made a powerful mark early on with his unforgettable role in Otto Preminger’s Anatomy of a Murder (1959), but despite that success, much of the 1960s found him settling into a more modest career as a working actor. That changed in the 1970s when Ben Gazzara reignited his artistic flame through a bold collaboration with visionary director John Cassavetes. Together, they created daring films like Husbands (1970) and The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976), works that pushed boundaries and cemented Ben Gazzara’s reputation as a fearless performer. Over the years, audiences continued to see the depth of his talent in standout roles in Capone (1975), They All Laughed (1981), Buffalo ‘66 (1998), and Lars von Trier’s Dogville (2003). As the new millennium dawned, Ben Gazzara was embraced once again—this time by a fresh wave of independent filmmakers—who recognized him not only as a compelling character actor but also as a living bridge connecting the golden era of Broadway and live television to the raw, innovative spirit of American indie cinema. And through it all, Ben Gazzara remained a singular presence, respected, admired, and impossible to ignore.
Ben Gazzara’s most acclaimed film is The Passionate Thief (1960), which remains his highest-rated work. On the other hand, his film Inchon! (1981) is regarded as his lowest-rated movie.
Turkey
